Camelot University Shorts
by aa.fic
Summary: Arthur is a well-off prat who can't figure out why Merlin annoys him so much, until one day he follows Merlin behind the science building. On-going series of shorts. Merthur, Slash, Modern AU
1. Merlin's Boxers

**About Camelot University** **Shorts  
><strong>_Genre_: Merthur, Slash, Modern AU  
><em>Summary<strong>: <strong>_Arthur is a well-off prat who can't figure out why Merlin annoys him so much, until one day he follows Merlin behind the science building.  
><em>Rating<strong>: <strong>_This series is rated M for language and some adult situations. Not explicit.  
><em>AN: _This is an-going series of shorts, usually between 800-2000 words. The fics are not necessarily in chronological order and, although connected, each can stand on its own. I do take requests.

**Merlin's Boxers**  
><em>Genre<em>: Modern AU, University, sassy!Merlin, hiphop!Merlin  
><em>Summary<em>: Arthur finds Merlin's hip hop style ridiculous, particularly the way he wears his pants down low so his boxers poke out. A ficlet inspired by boxer shorts.

* * *

><p>That kid was such an idiot.<p>

His father would say people like Merlin would never get far in life, these wastrels. And he would no doubt be right. Something about Merlin irritated the bloody hell out of Arthur.

Maybe it was how satisfied he appeared to be with himself, parading around campus and muttering his rap lyrics as if he didn't know he was in public. The very look of him marred the pristine appearance of the landscaped flowers and shrubs, the expensive trees brought in from Japan, the old stone buildings. Watching the students hurry down the winding pathways from one class to the next, Arthur noted with approval their tidy hair, the boys dressed in woolen sweaters, the girls in skirts.

And then there was Merlin. With his fucking jeans belted half-way down his arse, his boxers practically on full display. Arthur had no idea how he managed to walk without tripping over himself.

He seemed to see Merlin everywhere he went. In his Chinese Poetry of the Tang Dynasty lecture, Arthur could focus only on the thick white band of Merlin's boxers hugging his waist; in the dining hall, a hint of blue peeked out at Arthur, making his food impossible to eat; at Friday night's party, Arthur balked at Merlin crunking with his pants extra low. And once, when Arthur walked in to the boathouse locker room, he caught a glimpse of Merlin's boxers in their entirety as Merlin reached upwards to pull on his t-shirt. _If, _Arthur steamed, _I have to see that boy's underwear one more time I'm going to explode._

And now here was Merlin's small bottom again, jumping from side to side as he pranced a few steps in front of Arthur.

"Hey, Elena, the 1990s called. They want their style back," he said over-loudly to his girlfriend. She was a beauty, her thick blond hair floating down her back, her face golden-hued in the sunlight.

"Shhh!" she whispered, giggling. "He'll hear you."

"He can't hear a bloody thing with that hip-hop crap blasting in his ears," he responded. But just then Merlin stopped short and turned around, causing Arthur to crash right into him. Merlin was just a little taller, but he maximized his height advantage by stretching himself straight and leaning over Arthur.

"Sorry, did you say something, Arthur?" Merlin asked, a flirtatious smile coming over his face.

Arthur found himself blushing, which annoyed him further. "Yes I did, as a matter of fact. Why don't you pick up your pants and wear them properly? Do you know I can see your underwear?"

"Are you looking, then, mate?"

"No, I'm not _looking_," Arthur replied, sweating with indignation.

Merlin only smiled more broadly. "I hadn't realized about you Arthur! But now that I'm thinking of it, you _are_ kind of cute." He winked and sauntered off.

Arthur stared at Merlin's back, trying to calm himself. But he couldn't put Merlin's taunts from his mind. "Excuse me, Elena, but I won't endure being treated this way," he muttered, hurrying after Merlin.

Merlin moved more quickly than Arthur would have expected, and he only caught up with him as Merlin rounded the science building at the edge of the quad. The spot was less traveled, and being adjacent to a small wood, rather hidden from view.

"Merlin," Arthur called. "Wait."

Merlin turned to look at Arthur, surprised.

"Why did you talk to me like that, back there? Do you know who I am?" Arthur demanded.

"You're an insufferable prat, that's who you are," Merlin answered, turning on Arthur and cornering him against the building. Merlin's dark hair spiked out in every direction and his neck muscles writhed as he spoke.

Merlin was only tiny, but Arthur felt somehow intimidated. "I'm just sick of seeing you. Does your father approve of the way you dress yourself?"

"My father is dead," Merlin said, his voice becoming bold and defensive.

"Oh. I'm sorry about your father. That was out of line," Arthur said, mortified by his indiscretion. Merlin was right; he had taken this thing too far. He was nothing more than a bully.

But Merlin seemed to soften at Arthur's apology. "You know what, Arthur? I've seen the way you look at me. I think you like me," he said, stepping closer.

"That's ridiculous." Arthur tried to sound unconcerned but he could hear his voice shaking.

"Is it ridiculous? Then why are you so nervous right now?"

"I'm not…nervous."

"Yes, I think you are. I think the great Arthur Pendragon is nervous." Merlin was so close now he was almost touching Arthur's chest. And then Arthur suddenly felt Merlin's lips on his.

Merlin withdrew after a moment and whispered, "There, that wasn't so bad, was it? Now this time, kiss me back."

And Arthur found himself complying, taking Merlin's lips between his, sucking at his mouth. Kissing Merlin was so different from kissing Elena, whose soft skin yielded to his touch. Kissing Merlin was all friction, rough skin and stubble that scratched at his face. Merlin began to kiss him harder, clutching at Arthur's sweater, until Arthur began to lose awareness that he was out in broad daylight, frantically making out with the boy he had once mocked.

Merlin had been right. Arthur did like him. He'd liked him for quite some time, Arthur realized. He pushed his hand under Merlin's belt, searching for the cotton underneath.

Merlin murmured between kisses. "Hmm, you're liking my boxers after all, aren't you?"


	2. Picture Perfect

**Genre**: Modern AU, University, Cameras, Texting  
><strong>Summary<strong>: After their first kiss, Merlin's picture messaging wouldn't let Arthur forget him. Now Arthur is obsessed with getting as much footage of Merlin as he can.  
><strong>AN**: For sabriel017

* * *

><p>"Come on, say yes," Arthur pleaded.<p>

"No."

"Yes, you little show off, say yes to me." Arthur grabbed Merlin by the waist of his jeans and hauled him in, kissing at Merlin's bottom lip. Merlin was more beautiful to him every day, his hair a mountain of dark swirls grazing his forehead, his cheekbones carving out an exaggerated shadowed ridge down either side of his face.

"I'm not a show off, you prat. And I'm certainly not going to skip class to run off to the woods with you and dance around in front of your camera."

"You're full of it, mate. I haven't forgotten all those pics you used to message me."

"What pics?" Merlin sounded indignant.

"Don't play the innocent, Merlin." Arthur remembered all too well the veritable text messaging war Merlin had launched on him at the very beginning, while he was still together with Elena. After he had made the fatal mistake of first allowing Merlin to kiss him and thenkissing Merlin _back_ behind the science building, he had tried to put Merlin from his mind-but really he hadn't had a prayer.

Merlin's first attack had been a simple text:

_r u thinking about me?_

Arthur had decided not to reply. Of course he'd been thinking about Merlin. He'd been thinking about him all the time, especially at night after Gwaine had fallen asleep, and he felt free to elaborate on the memories of their kiss, trying to be quiet so as not to disturb his roommate.

The next time he had seen Merlin, outside the dining hall, Arthur had avoided making eye contact, hoping that they could both ignore what had happened between them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Merlin's hurt look turn into a haughty glare. A minute later, his phone vibrated.

_u don't like what u see anymore?_

Below the words was a fuzzy picture of Merlin, his mouth spread into a taunting grin. The bastard had just snapped the picture on the spot to get at Arthur. But he _did _look bloody cute. Arthur whirled around, and sure enough, there was Merlin, watching him from a distance. When he caught Arthur's eye, Merlin took out his phone again and began to type. Arthur fled, but he hadn't gotten far when his phone went off again.

_i knew you'd look back _

This was accompanied by another picture of Merlin, his lips puckered in a kiss. The little prick was making fun of him!

Then things started getting really embarrassing. Like when he'd been out shopping with Elena and the club remix for Celine Dion's "I Want You to Need Me" came blaring out of his pocket.

_do u think my bum looks 2 small in these?_

Arthur's eyes buggered at an image of Merlin's tiny arse in a pair of fitted red undies. Elena noticed Arthur flushing and asked him what was wrong; he'd muttered something about Gwaine and his drunken antics before shoving the phone into his bag, securely out of her reach.

In spite of his fear of being discovered, Arthur had saved each one of Merlin's text messages, hoarding them for lectures when he sat in the back of the hall or for times alone in his dorm room. He was struck by how bloody gorgeous Merlin looked, obsessing over his face until the idea of being unable to touch Merlin again, and soon, became intolerable.

Finally, Arthur was in Elena's room, locked deep in a sloppy kiss, when another note from Merlin came through:

_hey mate im alone at the rugby field. when r u coming to take advantage of me_

When Arthur saw the picture of Merlin lying shirtless against the dark grass, a small triangle of hair discernible between two ridiculously pronounced collarbones, he got up from Elena's bed and pulled on his shirt, muttering apologies. As he rushed from the room, Arthur quickly typed a reply-his first one-afraid that Merlin might leave.

_Coming right now. Don't move._

Things had happened quickly after that. Arthur ended things with Elena, took to spending every waking moment with Merlin, and was a little sad when he no longer received those irritating text messages. To make up for it, Arthur began eagerly snapping his phone camera every chance he got, archiving each one of Merlin's endless expressions, paying homage to his beautiful features-and getting in quite a few less innocent ones for later enjoyment.

But Arthur wanted more. Something lasting. His phone camera was all right, but it didn't provide the quality he was after, the high resolution that would allow him to capture the fine details of Merlin's skin, that would document his every pore. And he wanted to get the nuances of Merlin's movements, record his voice, follow him as he joked and preened and made fun of Arthur.

"You're a natural for the camera, Merlin." He took up Merlin's hand and gently bit into the flesh between his thumb and index finger. "And I want something to remember you by."

"Why? Where am I going?" asked Merlin.

"Nowhere yet. But I can't see the future, Merlin. I'm just afraid you might-"

"You don't have to be afraid." Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck and gave him a quick kiss. Arthur smiled up at him. "Besides," Merlin joked, "if I did leave, would you really want to torture yourself with footage of my perfect face?"

"First," Arthur answered, "don't ever leave. And second, yes. I would be able to do _nothing but_ torture myself with footage of your perfect face."

"Right then! We'd better get on it with it. And you are going to _love _the way my cheekbones kick right off when I'm in the sun," Merlin announced, gathering his coat. He paused, looking cheekily at Arthur, "You did plan for a picnic, right? Because I'm not going unless I've been provided for."

"Of course I did. And Merlin, I packed brandy."


	3. Crooked Love

**Genre**: Modern AU, University, Teeth, self-conscious!Arthur  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Merlin gets frustrated when Arthur won't let him spend the night and takes matters into his own hands, with a little help from Gwaine. In celebration of the diversity of teeth.  
><strong>AN**: This fic has been enabled by and is dedicated to those wonderful ladies, sabriel017, Tkegl, and Magnolia822.

* * *

><p>"Um, not tonight, Merlin. I have a paper due tomorrow."<p>

"So what? I have a lot of work to do, too. It'll be more fun if we do it together." Merlin gave him a sly grin. "And then I'll be right there in your bed if you need a bit of a cuddle break."

Arthur smirked. "Yes, right, as if you could possibly keep your hands off me. I'd never get anything done. Let's do it another time, right?"

Merlin glared at him. Arthur's deflections were getting old fast. He had tried to be understanding because Arthur was new to the whole boy thing, but they had been meeting clandestinely for three months already, and if Arthur wasn't his boyfriend then Merlin must be confused about the definition of the word. Sure, Arthur had finally put things with Elena to an end, that _was _a step, but he continued to be hands-off with Merlin in public and hadn't told any of his friends—well, none that Merlin knew of—that he was shagging Merlin pretty much every waking second.

And for fuck's sake, he had never allowed Merlin to spend the night. Not even once.

Not that Merlin was sentimental, mind you. Hell no. He wasn't in love with the guy, well, not really. But it was such a hassle to gather his things after a particularly mind-blowing evening and make his lonely way across the quad to his own dorm. Not when he could have still been warm and naked in Arthur's bed, wrapped in Arthur's ridiculously enormous arms. With his head on Arthur's broad chest. And with Arthur's perfect fingers playing up and down his back…

_Ok, _Merlin thought, _that's enough. I'm supposed to be pissed at him. _He wasn't going to win this argument while he was pining after Arthur.

"But I don't see why we never sleep with each other. Have you ever had morning sex? I know you're an innocent, but really. You are going to _love _the way I'll wake you up."

"Merlin, please. I _do _have a roommate, you know. It's…disrespectful."

"You seriously want me to believe that you never let Elena sleep over?" Merlin asked, hurt.

"That was different."

"Different! Why, because she was a _girl? _Are you ashamed of me? Gwaine doesn't care! He's not blind you know. I'm pretty sure he's figured out what's going on here."

"Can we just drop it, Merlin? I really am busy tonight. I don't want to fight with you, not when I could be doing something else…" Arthur grabbed Merlin by the waist and hauled him in, giving Merlin a series of gentle bites along his throat with his small, angled teeth.

"Oh fuck, Arthur, you bastard."

Merlin could feel the tickle of Arthur's breath as he laughed against his skin. "I'm going to show you just how much of a bastard I can be."

...

Merlin hesitated outside Arthur's dorm room. Should he really go through with this? It was one thing to nag Arthur about spending the night; it was another to sneak into his bedroom at three in the morning and climb uninvited into his bed while he slept.

But Arthur _was _his boyfriend, goddamn it. After their argument last week, when they were both sated and panting, sticky with sweat from Arthur's (successful) attempt to patch things up, Merlin had made Arthur concede the point. Now Arthur had no choice but to put up with him.

Merlin had arranged it all with Gwaine. During dinner, Gwaine had slipped him the key to the room and promised to be off at Morgana's for the night. Gwaine had needed little persuading as far as that went. Now they could be alone in Arthur's room, so Arthur had no reason to feel _disrespectful_.

But just to be on the safe side, Merlin had worn the tight black boxer briefs that were Arthur's favorite. If all else failed, he would give Arthur a glimpse of those and see how long his anger lasted.

Merlin tried not to feel like a weird stalker as he soundlessly slipped the key in the lock and turned. He cracked the door and peered inside. All was dark. Listening, he could hear the quiet rise and fall of Arthur's breath, then a fitful moan. _See_? he thought. _That boy is missing me already_.

He crept in, depositing his bag on the plush chair by the door and stripped down to his underwear. Heart pounding, Merlin made his way to Arthur's bed and slid inside. He reached around Arthur's thick waist and stuck a leg between Arthur's thighs-he was not going to get out of this one.

But when he leaned in for a kiss, Arthur bolted awake and scurried to the opposite edge of the bed.

"Merlin, fuck! What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Shh, don't worry, Arthur. Gwaine's off enjoying himself at Morgana's, so it's just you and me." He inched a little closer.

"It's not that, I'm just...God, I wish you hadn't surprised me like this. I need to go to the bathroom," Arthur said.

Merlin noticed there was something strange about the way Arthur was speaking. "Are you _slurring, _Arthur?" he asked. "Are you _drunk_?" Goddamnit, was Arthur a closet alcoholic? Is this why he needed time away from Merlin? These fucking aristocratic pricks and their secret addictions. He knew there had to be _something _wrong; Arthur was too good to be true.

"I'm not drunk, you _idiot_," Arthur protested, indignant. "I just haven't really woken up yet. What the fuck time is it?"

"Well, if that's all," Merlin relented. "Come on, don't be mad. I'm sorry I busted in like this. I just miss you at night. And since I'm here and we have the place to ourselves..." Merlin made another attempt to kiss Arthur.

"Don't kiss me, Merlin, please," Arthur protested quietly, turning his head.

Merlin sickened at Arthur's words. He hadn't expected this, not a break up, not yet. "Arthur, you have got to tell me what's going on here. Do you not like me anymore?"

"No, fuck, Merlin, that's not it. I don't want to mess this up with you," Arthur sighed, falling back against the pillow. "Fine, you might as well know."

Merlin buried his face into the blanket, steadying himself for the blow. This confession was going to be _terrible_, something about fathers and obligations and relocating and girls.

Arthur paused, then slowly said, "I've been kind of embarrassed about it, so don't laugh. I wear braces."

"Braces?" Merlin asked, disbelieving.

"Well not braces, exactly. More like aligners. I can take them out to eat, and they're not as visible as real braces."

This was so far from what Merlin had been expecting that he was unsure how to respond. "Uhm, I never noticed them before."

"Of course not, because I never wear them around you."

"So then you must never wear them. Because I am always around you."

"That's exactly the problem. I'm worried that I'm going to reverse the progress I've made, so I try to at least wear them at night. And I obviously can't do that if _you're_ here."

Merlin was losing his patience. "What are you talking about, Arthur? This isn't a one night stand. You're allowed to tell me stuff like this. I've been thinking you were ashamed of me."

"Being with a boy is...a little scary, yeah," admitted Arthur. "But that's not why I don't want you sleeping here."

Merlin felt his whole body relaxing all at once. This was ok. Things were going to be ok. He looked over at Arthur, just able to make out the sad expression on his face, all dark shadows in the moonlight. Merlin longed to see his smile, that painfully cute, special, toothy grin that had seduced him the very first time Arthur had used it on him. _And why_, he thought suddenly, _is he trying to take that smile away from me?_

"I don't understand. Are you going to have dental problems if you don't straighten them?"

"Probably not. The dentist examined me and said everything is very healthy, and he is not too concerned with overcrowding because my teeth are small."

"So mainly you're just a conceited arse and were hoping to make your smile prettier."

"Um, that about sums it up, yes," responded Arthur.

"Then take them out right now so I can kiss you properly," Merlin demanded.

Arthur leaned over Merlin to reach the nightstand. Merlin waited impatiently as he removed the problem and returned to his arms.

Merlin gave him a slow, thorough kiss on the mouth. "Mmm. Your teeth are fucking sexy, Arthur Pendgragon."

"You think so? Are they sexy when I do this?" Arthur said, nipping along Merlin's chin.

"That's persuasive," sighed Merlin.

"And this?" Arthur asked, taking Merlin's ear between this teeth and exhaling warm breath there.

"Even better," Merlin murmured, snuggling in to Arthur's warm chest. "Don't you dare use those things again. I love your teeth just the way they are."

Arthur lifted Merlin's chin until he was looking into his eyes. "You love my teeth, really? Is that your way of admitting that you love _me_, Merlin?"

Merlin was not entirely able to breath, but he managed to get enough control over himself to say, "Of course I don't fucking love you, you arrogant bastard. I just love your crooked teeth and what they can do to me."

And then he was suddenly underneath Arthur, pressed into the mattress by Arthur's weight. Arthur's face was so close that even in the near darkness Merlin could discern the fine line separating the black of his pupils from the blue facets of his eyes.

"Admit it, Merlin. Say that you love me. You know you do," Arthur commanded lowly.

"I don't! I don't!" Merlin whimpered out.

Arthur sucked deeply at Merlin's mouth and drove himself between Merlin's legs, reaching around to grip Merlin's arse. "Yes, you do, Merlin," he murmured. "Tell me that you love me."

"Fuck, Arthur, yes, God, fine!" Merlin panted, "I fucking love you."

And Arthur gave him another eager bite with his perfectly imperfect teeth.


	4. The Recording

**Title**: The Recording  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Modern AU, University, Fluff, hiphop!Merlin  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13  
><strong>Status<strong>: Complete  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 1568  
><strong>Warnings<strong>: Fluff  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: None  
><strong>AN**: Written for **sabriel017**, inspired by **sevend7**'s manip at http(:)/bit(.)ly/wD8RCR. Thank you to **donnersun** for the beta!  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Arthur makes an unexpected discovery when he tries to buy an underground hip-hop record for Merlin.

* * *

><p>He woke to the sound of noisy static and a foot tapping against his ankle.<p>

"Ugh, Merlin, why?" he groaned. Arthur rolled onto his side and pulled Merlin's shirtless body against him, stilling his movements. The bed calm once more, Arthur buried his nose against Merlin's sinewy neck and gave it a quick bite before sleep again fell heavy on him.

Merlin didn't stay quiet for long. "Good morning, lazy bones." He turned into Arthur's embrace and plunked a leg on top of him. "I've been waiting for you to wake up _forever_."

"Christ, stop that, Gwaine's right there, you know," Arthur protested groggily as Merlin's impatient hand traveled south.

"I didn't hear any complaints last night," Merlin reminded him, ignoring Arthur's objections.

"Oh shit, yeah, that was a mistake," Arthur murmured as he gave in to Merlin's slow strokes. "I'm always making bad decisions when I'm around you."

"Mmm."

"I really hope he didn't hear us."

"Agreed." Merlin began to mouth at Arthur's chest.

"I can't wait until we get our own…" Arthur leaned in to take Merlin's ear between his lips, but came up with a bunch of wire instead. "What is...God, do you have to listen to that trash at every possible moment?" Fully awake now, he identified the source of the irritating static that had intruded on his rest.

"What? You were like Sleeping Beauty over there and I was bored." Merlin picked up his iPhone from where it had dropped between them and readjusted the earbuds. "Besides, this is good stuff, not trash. Stop being such an old man."

"I'm not an old man!"

"You are." Merlin prodded him on the shoulder.

"Am not."

"Then how do you explain your love of Brahms? What I'm listening to, on the other hand, is underground gold."

"I very much doubt that."

"It's Coole House. They are so hip that I've only been able to find a digital version of _one_ of their songs, and even their LPs are impossible to track down."

"Maybe because people with taste can't be bothered with obscure hip-hop no-names?"

"At least I don't listen to whatever Daddy tells me," Merlin teased.

"You're lucky you look so sexy in red undies, or I'd never let you get away with the way you talk to me." Arthur lifted the blanket so he could get a better look. At the sight, Arthur bit his lip and reached a hand down to grab Merlin.

"Oh!" gasped Merlin.

"Uh, guys, I do share this room, you know."

"Gwaine!" Arthur hastily drew the blanket up over them and positioned himself so that Merlin was hidden from Gwaine's view, but Merlin poked his head over Arthur's shoulder anyway.

"Morning!" Merlin called.

"Well this is just sickening to watch. I have no idea how you two love birds survived without each other before." Gwaine smirked as he sat up.

"I know. It's hard to imagine how Arthur got on without me," Merlin agreed.

Arthur cast him a withering look.

"This is clearly no place for old men, and besides, I'm hungry. So I'll be off to the Morgana's Breakfast Hut for some eggs and rashers." Gwaine threw his legs over the side of the bed and hauled on his trousers. "I'll see you lads later."

When he was gone, Arthur turned back to Merlin and threaded his fingers through Merlin's hair, gripping it by the roots and giving a gentle tug. "God you're so cute in the morning."

Merlin beamed up at him and snuggled closer.

"Now take those things out of your ears. I have some terrible, filthy things I want to do to you."

"Yes, please," answered Merlin, sighing with contentment into Arthur's arms.

...

_Coole House__**, **__hmm?_ Arthur thought to himself as he made his way to the used record store on the edge of campus. When Merlin got out of his Modern Irish Poetry class later that afternoon, Arthur would have quite a surprise for him-hopefully. Merlin did say the LP was hard to find, but he was Arthur Pendragon, and good fortune just seemed to come to him. And if not, a few quid would motivate the owner to do some digging, and Arthur was sure he'd have the record within the week. He repressed his smile so people walking by him on the streets wouldn't think he was crazy, laughing to himself. But he was crazy for Merlin, just a bit.

"Where's your hip-hop section?" Arthur asked a skinny man with a nose ring who was filing records into a bin.

"Over there, by the wall in the back."

"The back of the store is the perfect place to hide away such bad music," Arthur replied, ignoring the look of annoyance the man shot him. He couldn't expect everyone to have had the benefit of his training in music.

Arthur flipped through the records, trying to forget the irritating names of the groups as soon as he discerned they weren't the object of his search. _Christ, they could at least have put them in alphabetical order_. But this was the inevitable result when overgrown teenagers opened their own stores.

Arthur was coming to the end of the stack when he saw it, and it wasn't what he had been looking for. In fact, it was the last thing he had ever expected to see, but there it was anyway—a record whose white cover had no design other than the words "Merlin Pendragon" written across it in a large plain font.

_What the bloody hell!_

Arthur pulled the album from the bin and stared. No matter how long he looked, the letters refused to reorder themselves into something more logical. Arthur scratched at the name _Pendragon _with his fingernail, but yes, it was definitely there. He flipped the record over to find a listing of track names and times, nothing unusual. Nothing strange at all, just a large picture of Merlin—his Merlin—posing on a street corner with an overserious pout on his face, his elbows bent up in the air as if punctuating his last rhyme.

_Is he…throwing up his set?_

Arthur guffawed out loud. Merlin was…oh God. Arthur was going to tear that cute fucker to pieces.

Arthur was obviously buying this record. He would, in fact, pay any amount of money for this record; he would sell his father's summer home in Avaloniain exchange for it. For Christ's sake, he would sell his _own body_ if he had to.

Arthur was just about to pull out his wallet when he saw the rap star himself squinting at an LP a few aisles over.

_That wanker, bunking off again, _thought Arthur as he headed towards him. When he noticed that Merlin was actually dressed properly, with the red and white checkered scarf Arthur had bought for him (to complement the one Arthur always wore), he wanted to snog Merlin right there in the store.

"Tell me, just how long have you been fantasizing about being my husband?" Arthur asked with a smirk.

"Arthur! What are you doing here? I tried to go to class, but I was late and…" Merlin looked as guilty as if he'd been caught thieving.

Arthur held up the LP for Merlin's inspection and waited, enjoying the way Merlin's mouth dropped open, his skin turning even paler than it usually was. "This is your…production, isn't it?" Arthur winked.

"Jesus, I didn't think there were any of those still around," Merlin whispered, snatching the record from Arthur's hands. "It's not what it looks like."

"Isn't it, Merlin Pendragon?" Arthur teased. "Looks like you've been waiting a long time to take my last name. This must have been made, I'd say at least a year ago, well before we formally met, so that leaves me no choice but to conclude that I've had a secret admirer."

Merlin gave an awkward laugh. "Don't be so full of yourself. I only liked the name Pendragon because of the legends, and you know, since my name is Merlin, I just thought it would be cool, a funny twist if…"

"Hey, don't worry, I like that you've been lusting after me for so long," Arthur said, grabbing the back of Merlin's neck and pulling him in. "It makes me hot."

"Yeah?" Merlin asked, starting to relax.

"Yeah." Arthur gave him a slow kiss in the aisle, other customers be damned.

"I'm a little embarrassed," Merlin admitted when they pulled apart. "Okay, very, very embarrassed."

"Don't be," Arthur reassured him. "Or at least not until I've heard how bad your music is."

"Um, thanks."

"Kidding, kidding! I'm sure you're great." Arthur laughed. "But why did you never tell me?"

"It's been awhile since I did anything original. Kinda lost my muse." The glum expression on Merlin's face made Arthur wish they were still in bed, where he could comfort him properly.

"We're going to have to fix that," Arthur said.

"Are you actually encouraging me? You don't even consider hip-hop to be real music."

"I do if it's your hip-hop," Arthur replied with affection. "And besides, now that I am in on the secret, I have an obligation to ensure the world gets to hear the next W.B. Yeats—as set to thudding hip-grinding beats."

Merlin smiled back at him. "I'm so glad I found you."

"Come on." Arthur gave Merlin's arse a squeeze. "I have a record to buy."


	5. The Snow Day

**Title**: The Snow Day  
><strong>Genre<strong>: Fluff, Modern AU, University  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Merlin goes to Arthur and Gwaine's dorm room during a blizzard.  
><strong>AN**: This short is dedicated to those lovely enablers bookjunkie1975, tkegl, magnolia822, and im_not_a_lizard, who threw plot bunnies at me like crazy. Look out for the consequences to this folly soon.

Thank you to magnolia822 for the beta.

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><p>"<em>Mer<em>lin, we're cold, come keep us warm!"

"Gimme that, Gwaine!" Arthur demanded, grabbing the mobile out of his roommate's hand.

"What's the problem, mate? Don't want me stealing away your _husband_?" teased Gwaine.

"Shut up, you arse." Arthur walked into the corner of the room as far away from Gwaine as possible. "Hello, Merlin? Sorry about that. How are you?" he asked, his voice growing soft.

"I heard that you needed someone to come get you nice and hot." The storm's interference with the signal made Merlin's voice crackle over the connection, but Arthur could hear his flirtatious tone as clearly as if Merlin were still in his bed.

"Well I _have _been thinking of you all afternoon," Arthur admitted. It was true; he had tried to finish his Calculus assignment for the next day, but all the unfamiliar Greek symbols blurred before his eyes until only the memory of his last amazing night with Merlin was left in his mind. "On Saturday, the way you…"

"Woah slow down there! No need to get Gwaine any more excited than he already is," chided Merlin. Arthur looked over at the way his roomie was eyeing him, making no attempt to hide that he was listening in on Arthur's every word.

"You're completely right, as always." Arthur said.

"So?" Merlin asked.

"So…what?"

"You want me there or not?" It was more a statement than a question.

"I don't know, Merlin. It's snowing something awful out. I don't want you to trek…"

"I'll be there in twenty," Merlin cut him off. The connection was severed before Arthur could argue.

"Well?" asked Gwaine, looking mischievous.

"He's coming. And next time, don't take it upon yourself to ring my boyfriend whenever you've a hankering for seeing him."

"Aw, come on now. You were pining, and I hate to see you suffer."

"I was not _pining_," protested Arthur as he sat back down at the desk and stared at the open book in front of him.

…

When Arthur shoved Gwaine aside to open the door before he could get to it, Merlin was standing there in a ridiculously cute blue beanie, a huge smile lighting up his scruffy, unshaven face.

"Cheers! I brought the whiskey!" Merlin held up a bottle of Scotland's finest and moved forward to give Arthur a firm kiss on the lips.

Arthur was happier than he expected at feeling Merlin's nose, cold and wet, against his face. In his puffy jacket, wet from his travels, Merlin's body felt solid and strong against his. Merlin had trudged across campus through a foot of snow just to be with him.

"Get in here," Arthur said gruffly, pulling Merlin into the room.

"Oh hi, Gwaine!" Merlin said as he tumbled in.

"Heya there, mate. You want me to get us started on that?" Gwaine returned, reaching out for the bottle.

"The sooner the better. I'm goddamn freezing!" Merlin responded, unzipping his coat.

"You must be. Look how wet you are," Arthur said. He pulled off Merlin's hat and a small pile of snow fell onto his wrist. "Ugh."

When Merlin had changed out of his wet things, exchanging his jeans for a pair of Arthur's sweats, his naked feet cold and red, Arthur pulled him onto his lap on the bed and snuggled him close.

"Hmm, I missed you," Arthur said, sucking at the back of Merlin's ear. Merlin leaned against him happily and sighed.

"I'm going to keep you nice and warm now," Merlin murmured as he twisted around for a deeper kiss than the one they had shared at the door.

"Ok, lads, it's time to help ol' Gwaine put down this lovely brew. _I've _no one to keep me warm, so I must resort to other measures." Gwaine took a long swig from the bottle and passed it to Arthur.

"So this is what we're doing then, no cups or anything? Where's the dignity in this?" Arthur asked, taking the whiskey from Gwaine with skepticism.

"Sorry, princess, but the last time I checked, we were shit out of crystal goblets in this palace," Gwaine replied.

Arthur peered warily into the bottle as if expecting to see something pernicious inside and, giving up, gulped down two shots worth.

"Woah, slow down there, boy! Or I'll never be able to manage you," Merlin chastised, taking the bottle from him. Arthur felt an immediate warmth prickle under his skin all over and decided that yes, drinking whiskey with Merlin's pointy bum nestled between his thighs was a decidedly superior way to pass the snowstorm.

After a few more rounds, they were all sloppy enough that when Gwaine suggested heading out to the quad in the middle of the biggest blizzard any of them had seen to build a snowman, it seemed like a good idea—an amazing idea, even. Since putting on thermals and jumpers and scarves and hats proved more challenging than anticipated, and with the whiskey in their stomachs doing a fabulous job providing fuel for warmth, they made do with just jackets and gloves and stumbled drunkenly out the door.

"Ah-wooo!" Gwaine shouted and raised his arms up at the sky as if summoning all of the snowflakes to him. His enthusiasm caught on and all three began hooting and shouting, trampling the pristine blanket of snow as they raced to the center of the quad.

"I'll make the base, and you lot roll two more for the belly and head," Gwaine ordered while he clumped together a compact snowball and began pushing it in winding paths, the shape gathering mass. When the bottom was ready, Arthur planted his huge snowball on top of it, and called to Merlin for the head. "Let it come!" he called. Merlin topped the snowman with a disproportionately small white sphere.

"Erm," Merlin said when he stepped back to evaluate it.

"That looks bloody ridiculous," Arthur offered.

"It's perfect!" proclaimed Gwaine. He drew the outline of eyes and a smiling mouth with one gloved finger. "A masterpiece, surely. Except it's missing one small thing…" He worked another handful of snow into a long oblong shape and smushed it against the based, just below the belly. "There! Now our snowman is anatomically correct."

"You sick fuck," Arthur said, laughing.

"I'm shocked!" protested Merlin.

"Since you don't respect my art, you won't mind if I …" Gwaine threw himself bodily against the snowman, whooping as he demolished it.

"Gwaine!" Merlin and Arthur shouted at the same time. Then Arthur pounced.

"Catch me if you can!" shouted Gwaine, sprinting forward. He had not gotten more than three paces before he was sprawled flat on his face, eating snow.

Merlin guffawed and stooped down to gather a snowball, hurling it at Gwaine before he had a chance to get up. Arthur laughed and pitched in, both assaulting him with an icy bombardment.

"You don't even let a man get to his feet before you attack him, you cowards!" Gwaine slurred, managing to rise, a fistful of snow in his hand. "I'll teach you lot." Gwaine threw himself at Merlin, who turned to run. But Gwaine was too quick, laughing as he grabbed Merlin around the waist with one hand and rubbed snow into his face with the other. He hooked a foot around Merlin's ankle, tripping them both and providing him a perfect vantage point from which to continue Merlin's snow torture.

"Help! Oh help, Arthur!" Merlin laughed panting through the snow in his mouth. "I can't feel my bloody face!"

"Hey, off Merlin now!" Arthur hurled one snowball after another against Gwaine's back, but doing very little to dislodge the interloper. Seeing that Gwaine was having entirely too much fun, Arthur threw himself at Gwaine and knocked him onto his back on the ground beside Merlin. He pinned Gwaine's arms to the ground and ordered Merlin to attack. Grinning wickedly, Merlin spooned armful after armful of snow over Gwaine in retribution.

"Christ have mercy!" Gwaine gasped. "I'm fucking freezing! More whiskey! Let me be!"

Arthur was just about to shout _"Never!" _when he was suddenly gasping through something cold and wet on his face.

"Merlin! You traitor!" he protested. "You better run, because I'm coming for your arse!"

Merlin took his advice. He was already disappearing into the falling snow as Arthur climbed off of Gwaine, who gave no indication of moving.

"Oh, Arthur, I'm feeling dizzy, mate…" Gwaine moaned.

"It'll pass, you big girl," Arthur muttered as he took off after Merlin. "You're not going to get far, Merlin!"

When he caught up to him, Merlin was giggling drunkenly, a snowball in either hand and three cozied in his elbow against his chest. He began throwing them at Arthur in an unsteady volley, confusing Arthur enough that he didn't have a chance to amass his own weapons.

"Big scary Arthur is going to get me!" Merlin taunted.

Given the strength of Merlin's assault, Arthur decided his best strategy was to simply go for a tackle.

He rammed into Merlin's chest with his shoulder, the momentum knocking them down.

"Oof!" But instead of fight him, Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur's back and tugged at him, his embrace making Arthur forget his warlike intentions, moving to cradle Merlin's head in his hands instead, providing insulation from the cold ground. White snowflakes caught in Merlin's eyelashes and melted away when he blinked. Arthur leaned down for a slow kiss, their lips icy wet, Merlin's tongue hot against his.

"I love you, Merlin," Arthur breathed through their mouths.

Merlin jerked his head back out of Arthur's reach. "You do?"

Arthur reddened beyond the red he already was after drinking too much whiskey and running around in the snow. "I'm just saying stupid things. I'm too drunk."

"You love me," Merlin teased.

"No."

"You _love _me," he repeated.

"No! So much no as to actually dislike you. Immensely." And Arthur kissed him in earnest to shut him up.


	6. The Flu

Title: The Flu  
>Genre: Fluff, Modern AU, University, HC  
>Rating: PG-13<br>Status: Complete  
>Warnings: None<br>Spoilers: None  
>Summary: Merlin takes care of Arthur when he gets the flu.<br>A/N: Follow-up to The Snow Day. This short grew out of a gleeful Twitter brainstorming session with tkegl, bookjunkie1975, magnolia822, and im_not_a_lizard. Thank you to sabriel017 for the beta.

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><p>The blizzard continued its icy siege on Camelot University. Merlin, who had trudged across the deepening snow days earlier so he might be with Arthur through the storm, was forced to stay for its duration, a consequence that neither Merlin nor Arthur greatly minded. Classes had been cancelled indefinitely. Merlin hadn't changed out of Arthur's oversized <em>Camelot Griffins<em> sweatpants since they had all returned, yelling and carrying on, from the snowball fight in the quad. Arthur had a heard time resisting mussing Merlin's black hair whenever it was within mussing distance, which was often. The boys had gone into survival mode: the intake of regular meals was abandoned; showers were unknown; and leaving the dorm room except to use the loo was considered beyond reason. When desperation hit, Arthur and Gwaine traded off the responsibility of venturing out for occasional supplies of fast food and whiskey—especially whiskey. It turned out that intellectual conversation, video game playing, and cuddling were infinitely superior activities when performed under the influence. In short, everything was going swimmingly.

Or at least, it was going swimmingly until Arthur woke up with his throat dry and scratchy, his head pounding hard enough that sitting up seemed as distant a goal as getting into the postgraduate programme at Oxford.

"Ugh," he moaned.

Merlin stroked his chest. "What's wrong?"

Arthur attempted to moisten his chapped lips. "I feel awful."

"Maybe we _have _been overdoing it with the whiskey…"

"No, it's worse. I think I'm sick." Arthur started to feel a dull ache in his limbs. "I hope this isn't the flu."

"Nah, it's just the drinking. You're not as tough as you think you are." Merlin gave Arthur's neck a small bite.

"You feeling it, too, mate?" Gwaine groaned from his bed.

"_You're _sick? Don't tell me you passed something on to me."

"On the contrary, you've given me something!" Gwaine protested.

Merlin placed the back of one hand against Arthur's forehead. "You're steaming hot! I shouldn't have let you run around in the snow," he reprimanded himself, worrying now.

"The snow doesn't make you sick. Disgusting people like _Gwaine_ do. When you share bottles of whiskey with them."

"Ssh, it's no one's fault. Don't worry, I'll take good care of you." Merlin was already adjusting Arthur's head on the pillow and pulling the blanket up under his chin.

"No, I'm too _hot_," Arthur whined, sticking out a bare arm.

"You get that back under the blanket!" scolded Merlin. "You need to stay toasty warm."

"I thought it was starve a cold and freeze a flu?" grumbled Arthur.

"I don't think that's how the saying goes," Merlin told him. "Now behave."

"Hey, who's going to take care of _me_?" demanded Gwaine. When his entreaty was met only with further coos from Merlin over Arthur, he reached for his mobile. "Fine. I'll ring Elena then."

Arthur's ears perked up. "_My _Elena?" he asked, an exclamation that caused him to receive a firm elbow in the gut from Merlin.

"She's not _your _Elena anymore, friend. And besides, she's always had a bit of a thing for me. Especially this last week," Gwaine answered with a wink, the mobile pressed to his ear.

Arthur was too tired to care much about the way Gwaine always seemed to pursue Arthur's love interests—as long as he stayed away from Merlin, who was now looking down at him, concern in his eyes. He wished Merlin would come closer and hug him tight. He felt a bit shaky.

"Ok, boys. I'm out of here," Gwaine said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"What? But you're sick, too! And it's freezing out," Merlin lectured Gwaine.

"Bah, I'll survive. It's just a short walk to Elena's. She's going be my nurse," he said with a smile.

Arthur grumbled something under his breath, but with the way Merlin was eyeing him, dared not complain further.

After Gwaine had gone, Merlin asked, "Now, do you have any medicine around here? Cough syrup? A weird colored, disgustingly sweet liquid?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Check the closet near my soap and things." Arthur shut his eyes and felt the mattress bounce as Merlin got up and started poking about his belongings.

"Found it!" he heard Merlin shout with triumph. "How much do I give you? Hmm, it looks like the recommended dose is one of these capfuls. But you—you're practically a horse. I'm certain you'll need more."

Arthur sat up weakly and took as much as Merlin gave him, which was ten times the amount of cough syrup he'd ever hope to drink in one sitting.

"That's better, isn't it? You'll be right as rain in no time," said Merlin.

"Ok, _mother_, thanks for taking care of me. Now, come under here and hug me," Arthur ordered, lifting the blanket.

"Such a bully, even when you're sick," answered Merlin, but he crawled under the sheets readily enough and wrapped his arms around Arthur, giving him hesitant kisses on the chest and then working his way up until he was sucking at Arthur's neck. Merlin began to get noisy as he climbed on top of Arthur, pushing against him more insistently. "Arthur, can I…?"

"No, you horny toad, I'm _ill_. Have some mercy," protested Arthur as he pushed Merlin off him.

"All right, fine. Don't get like that., I can't help it that you still look sexy, even with snot coming out of your nose."

"There's no…" Arthur countered, but palmed at his nose anyway. "Watch what you say to me. I may be sick, but I'm still stronger than you."

"Hmm, I'd like to see you take me on in this state," Merlin teased. Arthur went to lift his head, but the instant dizziness he felt convinced him now was hardly the time to prove something to Merlin.

"I should feed you. You'll get better sooner if you eat. I wish my mum were here, —she makes the best chicken soup. She cooks me a big pot whenever I'm not feeling right. If we were in a proper house with a kitchen, I'd make you some right now."

"That's tempting, Merlin, but I think your cooking would probably kill me right off."

"I've an idea. I'll run down to the grocers and pick up some of those instant soup packets and a few other things. Maybe a little more whiskey."

"No, don't go… I want you to stay here with me," Arthur complained.

"It'll only take me a few. I'll be right back, promise." Arthur could hear Merlin shuffling around the room as he gathered his things. Then the door closed, and he was alone.

Arthur sighed and rolled over, feeling the medicine begin to take effect;, a warm numbness evaporating the aches in his bones, causing the pain in his head to subside. He remembered how he used to chase Merlin around campus every chance he got just so he could get a peek at his boxer shorts, pretending to himself that he was disgusted with Merlin's poor taste in clothing. Now, he laughed at how stupid he had been not to realize he had had a crush on Merlin. He hadn't expected to fall for such a miscreant, but he had, and there it was. Merlin wasn't so bad.

Arthur was in the grips of an almost violently aggressive sleep when he felt someone shaking his shoulder.

"Arthur, wake up! You're worrying me."

Arthur struggled to open his eyes and smiled to see Merlin standing over him.

"Jesus, look at your eyes. You're high as a kite."

"Hi, baby. Come here," Arthur answered.

"Oh God. Maybe I did give you too much of that cough medicine. I hadn't realized you were such a wimp."

"Not a wimp. Now hugs." Arthur held out his arms.

"Not yet." Merlin bent over to plant a kiss on his forehead. "First, I want to make some of this soup for you."

"I hate soup," slurred Arthur.

"Don't be a pain. I'm just going to get some hot water from the loo and _voilà_! Instant noodle soup."

Merlin was gone again. Arthur didn't understand that boy. All he wanted was to sleep with Merlin tight in his arms, but Merlin insisted on cooking soup in the loo. Something about that didn't make a lot of sense, but he was too tired to care.

"Ok, here it is. I hope you like it. Sit up a bit."

Arthur's head fell as Merlin pulled the pillow out from under it and set it upright against the wall. "Ow!"

"Come on," coaxed Merlin, gripping him under the shoulders and pulling. Arthur tried to control the dizziness in his head as he wiggled into a sitting position, his head feeling like it was full of sand and his eyes unable to open all the way. The outline of Merlin was soft and fuzzy as he held a container of something toward him. "Drink this."

"Noooo. I don't want that," Arthur said. He did feel good, though. Amazingly good. He wanted to lie back down.

"Ok, just have a little." Merlin held out a spoonful towards him, and Arthur obediently opened his mouth.

"Blah!" He tried not to spit out the salty lukewarm liquid in his mouth, and ground up a rock hard piece of noodle with his teeth. "I'm not eating any more of that."

"It's good for you!"

"It's dangerous. I'm going to die of uncooked chicken disease," Arthur whined.

"Don't exaggerate. It's all precooked, you know."

"No." Arthur pulled the pillow under his neck as he slid down the bed. "I'm going to sleep now. Come cuddle me." Arthur heard Merlin sigh and the sound of the bowl being placed on the desk. Then the blankets were being ruffled and Merlin's wooly sweater scratched at his skin.

"Too many clothes. I like you nakeder." Arthur tugged at Merlin's jeans with limited results.

"Just wait a minute, I'm coming."

Merlin began to undress while Arthur looked on, a sloppy grin on his face. "You're hot," he told him. "The shirt too now."

"Shut up. You're embarrassing me," complained Merlin, turning around to take his shirt off.

"No, I can't see now," protested Arthur. His head felt like it weighed a ton, but he tried not to pay attention to it as he sat up and flung his arms around Merlin's waist and hauled him into the bed. "See? Still strong," he bragged. He laid his face against the bare skin of Merlin's back and sighed happily.

He started to nod off, but Merlin gently pushed him over onto his back and leaned over him, pushing damp hair off Arthur's forehead. Merlin dipped his head down to rub the tip of his nose against Arthur's. "You're my favorite," he said.

"You're _my_ favorite," Arthur returned. Merlin moved to kiss him on the lips.

"No, Merlin! Don't kiss me. I don't want you to get sick too." Arthur turned his head to the side.

"Hey," replied Merlin, placing a finger on Arthur's chin and drawing Arthur's face back toward him. "I've been stuck in this dorm with you for days, remember? Drinking out of the same whiskey bottle. Putting my tongue down your throat every chance I get. Whatever you've got, I probably already have. And even if I don't, it doesn't matter. I don't mind getting a little cold if it means I get to kiss you. Besides, we're in this together."

"This?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah, _this_. Everything." Merlin went to kiss Arthur again, and this time Arthur let him, Merlin's tongue sliding over his and making him dizzy. Or maybe it was just the cough medicine.

"Mmm," Merlin sighed. "Definitely worth getting sick over. But who's going to take care of me when I start to cough?"

Arthur squeezed Merlin's skinny frame. "I will," he said.

And two days later, when Merlin's nose turned bright red from sneezing, Arthur did just that.


	7. Castell Coch

**Genre**: Fluff, H/C, Modern AU, University, Hot water bottles, Puffy coats  
><strong>Pairing<strong>: MerlinxArthur, side of GwainexMordred  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Merlin's sneezing worries Arthur when they take a trip to Castell Coch with Gwaine and Mordred.  
><strong>AN**: Follow-up to The Flu. This is a present for otta_ff. Thank you to otta_ff for the beta and ememmyem for the brit pick.

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><p>"Do you really think you're well enough to go on this trip?" Merlin asked, then sneezed. He watched with his hands on his hips while his boyfriend jammed a hot water bottle into an old rucksack.<p>

Arthur eyed him curiously. "That sneeze was just for effect, right? Or are you getting ill now, too?"

Sometimes Arthur was a little _too_ heroic, deflecting concern from himself when he was the one who, having recently recovered from the flu, should be resting instead of planning an outing to the woodlands around Castell Coch. Merlin missed the way Arthur had been a few days ago; the snot and coughing notwithstanding, he'd been sleepy and sweet and eager to be taken care of. Now he was back to behaving like he was the crown prince of Great Britain—noble on the one hand, prattish on the other—ordering Merlin around all morning in his haste to be ready when Gwaine arrived.

The long drive to Wales and the even longer walk that would follow was another bright idea imagined up by Arthur's roommate, seemingly just to torment Merlin. After the blizzard, the sun had finally come back out and melted away most of the snow, but it was still cold as brass monkeys outside, and the forest was likely to be wet and muddy. It was hardly Merlin's idea of a pleasant way to pass the day.

"Relax. I'm resistant to your germs. The only thing you need to worry about this morning is whether or not Gwaine will materialise." To be on the safe side, Merlin threw back some cold medicine while Arthur, distracted, searched for something in the rucksack.

"Gwaine'll show up, don't worry. And if he doesn't, it might be even more fun to roam the forests just the two of us."

Arthur winked at him over his shoulder, sending a thrill down Merlin's body. It was hard to believe he'd attracted the sexy, blond rich kid just by strutting around campus ignoring him. But some boys were into that, he supposed. Merlin eyed Arthur's cute bum as he bent further over the bag, muttering to himself about a "damned map of Glamorgan."

"If Gwaine doesn't show up, we don't have to go at all. I'm sure I could figure out plenty to do right here in your room," Merlin suggested, taking hold of Arthur's hips with both hands.

"I don't doubt you." Arthur's voice was warm as it had been the night before as he turned and slid his arms around Merlin's neck. "But I've been trapped in this room for days and my head's going to explode if I don't get outside." A consolation kiss was all he was awarded.

"Yeah, yeah," agreed Merlin. The _things _he did for this boy.

Just as he prepared to offer another alternative to mucking through several inches of muddy ground, Gwaine charged through the door, dragging some skinny kid in by the hand.

"Lads! Look what I found."

Merlin crossed his arms over his chest and took in the boy's frumpy maroon jumper and old jeans. He looked like a fresher just arrived to London straight from the country. "Who's _that_?"

"This is Mordred." When Gwaine tussled the kid's hair, Merlin understood suddenly how it had gotten so messy.

"What happened to Elena?" asked Arthur, raising an eyebrow.

"Who? Oh yeah, that was over ages ago."

"Ages ago?" Merlin piped in. "I thought you went to sleep at her place on Wednesday."

"Right, yes." Merlin rarely saw Gwaine look flustered, but he did now as he peeked at Mordred's reaction. "It didn't exactly work out. You see, I was on my way over there, when I found a party going on in her building, so I thought I'd stop in for a quick drink and… well, you can see what happened next."

Mordred waved awkwardly.

"I haven't seen you around campus. You look younger than most uni students." Even to his ears, Merlin's words sounded more like an insult than an observation, but he couldn't help the weird feeling growing in his stomach at the way the new kid was looking at Arthur.

"What's this?" Gwaine asked, with a smirk. "You jealous Arthur will fall for Mordred? He _is_ cute."

"I'm not _jealous_," Merlin retorted.

"Don't tease, mate." Arthur pulled Merlin back against his chest and wrapped his arms protectively around him. "Merlin's got nothing to be worried about. I've no eyes for anyone else."

Merlin pulled Arthur's arms tighter around him and angled his head to the side to give Arthur more room to nuzzle.

"Fine with me. I have my own plans for this one." Gwaine grinned, making Mordred blush to the roots of his hair.

"Like taking me to Castell Coch? Because we'd better go before it gets too late."

"_I'm_ not taking us anywhere." Gwaine hitched a thumb in Arthur's direction. "_He's_ the one with the motor."

~ o ~

Merlin turned up the music, rapping along to Pro Green in order to drown out the sound of Gwaine and Mordred in the backseat. Arthur drove in steady concentration, as serious as if he were leading an infantry to a rendezvous point, breaking his silence only to give Merlin a smile or tug on his ear. As time went by, the heat from the car's vents and a strange fuzzy feeling in his head made Merlin drowsy, but the safety of Arthur beside him and the slight pressure of his hand on his leg made it a pleasant kind of daze.

He realised he'd nodded off when Arthur pulled into the car park at Castell Coch and shut off the engine. The others were already outside stretching their legs by the time Merlin woke up enough to admire the storybook towers rising into the sky. Looking at the restored castle, Merlin felt like a character in a medieval romance; he just hoped there were no dragons or wolves roaming the forest beyond.

The door opened and Arthur's head dipped into the car. "You coming, sleepyhead?" Merlin took the hand extended to him and stumbled out, his legs less stable than he'd thought.

"Woah! You sure you're ok?" Arthur grasped Merlin's chin between his fingers.

Merlin felt his eyes searched for evidence of illness. Now that they had finally arrived, Merlin didn't want to disappoint Arthur. "I'm fine. Guess I was more knackered than I thought, taking care of you." Merlin firmed his voice and stood up straighter. It worked; Arthur, appeased by this explanation, nodded and led Merlin by the hand to the entrance of the castle.

"I thought we were going walking," Gwaine protested behind them.

"We can't drive all the way to Castell Coch and skip the castle! It's the main attraction," Arthur called over his shoulder. He paid Merlin's entry fee and led him lazily through the ornate rooms, pausing to admire the intricate wall patterns and the etched glass, an arm slung over Merlin's shoulder. He was like a personal tour guide, detailing how Bute and Burges had transformed the old ruins, while Gwaine made obscene remarks about Lady Bute's bedchamber. Merlin managed to only sneeze once.

And then the castle emptied them into the woods. It was beautiful, more beautiful than Merlin was inclined to admit, but the snow, sheltered by the trees, still clung to the ground and dampened Merlin's boots. With a chill, he felt the wind pass through his thin coat and wished for the warm blankets of Arthur's bed.

"Gwaine! Stop!" Mordred shouted, backing away from a dead branch Gwaine was extending toward him.

"What? It's just a spider."

"Leave me alone!"

Mordred's protests only made Gwaine laugh harder and step closer to Mordred, who looked petrified by the eight-legged creature at the end of the branch. They paused, each waiting for the other to move, and then Gwaine gave a sharp thrust. Mordred bolted.

"I think they're perfect for each other." Arthur laughed into Merlin's hair as Gwaine chased Mordred down the rambling path, disappearing. They could hear playful screams in the distance.

"At least we're alone again."

"Nice isn't it? These woods are so peaceful. Well, aside from Gwaine." Arthur leaned in for a kiss, but Merlin turned his head just in time to avoid sneezing on him.

"Ok, what's this? You've been sneezing all day. Tell me the truth. Did I give you the flu? I knew I shouldn't have let you kiss me."

"Nope. I'm fine." Merlin pretended to be interested in the bark on a tree. He shivered.

"You're freezing. Why did you wear that useless coat? Do I have to tell you how to dress yourself, too?" Arthur wrapped him in a bear hug, but even that didn't stop Merlin's teeth from chattering.

"Take it off," Arthur commanded.

"What? No." Merlin wrapped his arms around himself. "I'm not getting naked for you here in the woods, Arthur Pendragon. This is a scenic outpost. There are tourists."

"Don't be an idiot." Arthur wrestled out of the puffy jacket he was wearing and offered it to Merlin. "Let's switch."

Realising what Arthur intended, Merlin laughed. "You'll never fit into my coat."

Arthur had that look in his eyes again, the one that meant arguments would be futile, so Merlin just sighed and did as he was told.

"Take this, too. Just to be on the safe side." Arthur produced the hot water bottle from his rucksack and thrust it at Merlin's chest. The heat warmed him immediately.

"Jesus, you're worse than my mother," Merlin complained, secretly pleased and feeling very well cared for.

"This girl from the running club gave it to me. It's not like I buy these things myself, you know. I'm not a total pussy."

_Girl from the running club? _Merlin adjusted the water bottle so it pressed against his stomach. "You don't… like her, do you?"

"No, you twit." Arthur smacked him affectionately on the back of the head. "I meant what I said earlier. Ever since I caught sight of your little arse, I don't have eyes for anyone else."

"Hmf. Better not." He kept his nose in the air as he zipped up around the water bottle. When he was finally warm and snug inside the enormous puffy jacket, Arthur grunted his satisfaction. Merlin didn't have the heart to make a disparaging comment about how silly he looked in Merlin's brown coat, so tight it was impossible to pull it fully over his broad shoulders.

"Come on, let's catch them up."

They trooped through the woods, Merlin's coat making a swishy sound with each pass of his arms against his sides. He could feel how cold the air was on his ears, but his body was sweaty hot under the layers of insulation. He stuck a finger in Arthur's hand and felt him close a fist around it. Damp as it was out here, Merlin supposed it wasn't _that _bad.

After several minutes of walking in comfortable silence, they caught sight of Gwaine pressing Mordred up against a tree, snogging his face off. Arthur cleared his throat.

"Gwaine!" Merlin heard Mordred protest. "They're back."

"So?"

"So quit it!"

Gwaine gave them a backward glance and smirked. "They don't care. Those two can't keep their paws off each other long enough to pay attention to anyone else."

Merlin wanted to argue, but Arthur's arms were already around his waist, steering him away from the sound of Mordred's muffled breathing.

~ o ~

The exhaustion of the day finally caught up to him when Merlin tumbled into Arthur's bed after an early dinner. Gwaine had mercifully gone back to Mordred's, so Arthur's room was once again their own.

"I shouldn't have taken you today. You're sick as a dog. Let's get you out of those wet clothes."

Arthur pulled his socks off with a quick movement. Sure enough, between his slightly fevered sweating and the light rain that had fallen later that afternoon, Merlin's clothes were damp through. It felt good when Arthur stripped him down almost to nakedness and redressed him in a dry cotton t-shirt that smelled of Arthur's washing powder.

"Push over," Arthur grumbled, scooting Merlin closer to the wall and easing up behind him. Merlin enjoyed the solidity of Arthur's body pressing against his from head to toe, cocooned by the heavy presence of Arthur's leg thrown over his.

"You're my hot water bottle now," Merlin murmured into the pillow, dimly aware of how silly he sounded.

Arthur didn't seem to mind. "I'm going to keep you nice and warm. Make you better, like you made me better." He paused. "But I promise not to feed you any of that awful chicken soup."

"She always made it look so easy." Arthur's hand rubbing circles on his stomach went a long way to make up for not having his mother around to take care of him.

Arthur stopped talking, and the light coming in the window cooled to a soft blue.

Merlin's breathing slowed as a weary peacefulness settled over his limbs. He felt himself losing hold of consciousness when a slight lessening of pressure along his back brought him fully awake.

"Where are you going?"

"Merlin," Arthur whispered. "It's only six o'clock. I'm not tired, and you were falling asleep."

"Don't go."

"I'm not leaving. I'm just going to sit at the end of the bed so I can play Diablo. I'll put the sound on mute."

"No."

"Aw, come on, Merlin."

Merlin turned over and pulled Arthur back down by his shirt. He couldn't quite open his eyes, but what he saw was everything he needed.

Arthur folded him into his chest. "You know I can't resist you when you look at me like that." He felt a light kiss graze the top of his head.

Merlin didn't have any trouble sleeping after that.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I've moved to LiveJournal and AO3 with the same username: asya_ana. Any future updates to this series can be found there. Thank you!<strong>


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